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INTRODUCTION: Despite the importance of zinc in the human body, there is paucity of data on the zinc status of Nigerian children. The aim of this study was to determine the serum zinc levels of children attending the pediatric outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in South East Nigeria and to assess their need for routine zinc supplementation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred children aged 5-60 months were recruited consecutively from the pediatric outpatient clinic. Their socioeconomic class (SEC) was assessed using the tool developed by Oyedeji. Physical examination was carried out to exclude malnutrition and/or liver disease. Samples were collected in the morning from nonfasting subjects and were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Serum zinc deficiency was defined as zinc level <80 µg/dl. RESULTS: The overall median (range) serum zinc level was 83.3ug/dl (60-105 µg/dl) while the median (mean rank) serum zinc levels among male and female subjects were 83.4 µg/dl and 84.2ug/dl, respectively (U = 1071.00; P = 0.228). A total of 26 (26%) apparently healthy children had low serum zinc levels. There was no association between gender and serum zinc levels (χ2 = 2.163; P = 0.141). A significant positive but weak relationship was found between SEC and zinc levels (r = 0.208, P = 0.038) but not between serum zinc levels and age of the children (r = 0.185, P = 0.065). CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of Under-5s could have low serum zinc levels. Routine zinc supplementation may be necessary among this age group in Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
Background: Snakebite envenomation is a worldwide problem, which is an important cause of death in the developing countries and still remains a neglected public health problem. Children sustain more severe toxicity from envenomation compared to adults and thus have different outcomes.Objectives: This study was carried out to review the demographics, risk factors, interventions,outcomes of snakebite victims in the pediatric age group in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria, to improve the existing database.Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive, retrospective study conducted at the children emergency room (CHER) of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH), Enugu. The admission records of all the children that were admitted into CHER of ESUTH over a 5year period (January 2012 to December 2016) were reviewed. Analysis was mainly descriptive. Frequency distributions of all relevant variables were reported as tables and prose. Test of significance for discrete variables was done using the Chisquare test. P <0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results: There were 5182 admissions with 13 cases of snakebite, giving a prevalence rate of 0.25%. Late presentation was significantly associated with longer duration of hospitalization (P = 0.026, Ï2 = 4.952).Five (30.8%) patients had complications distributed as follows: one gangrenous limb (7.7%), one necrotic ulcer (7.7%), and three compartment syndromes (23.1%). Prehospital visit interventions included visit to the native doctor, local incision, application of herbs, tourniquet, and black stone application. One of the patients died, giving a case fatality rate of 7.7%. Conclusions: The prehospital emergency interventions given to snakebite victims still reflect practices that are harmful. It is possible that the majority of snakebite cases in our environment do not present to the health facilities. More efforts are required to improve the healthseeking behavior and emergency interventions for snakebite victims
Subject(s)
Child , Nigeria , Population , Snake BitesABSTRACT
Background. With vaccine-preventable disease accounting for many 5-year deaths in most developing countries; it is imperative to determine the factors responsible for poor immunisation coverage in these countries. Objective. To identify maternal sociodemographic factors associated with child immunisation uptake in Nigeria. Methods. Data from a nationally representative sample of mothers (aged 15 - 49 years) were obtained from the 2008 Nigeria demographic and health survey. Logistic regressions were used to examine the association between maternal sociodemographic variables and child immunisation uptake.Results. The overall uptake of full immunisation based on the National Programme on Immunisation schedule was 30.6. There was wide variation in full immunisation uptake in the different regions in Nigeria; with 51 in the South-West; 46.5 in the South-East; 39.5 in the South-South; 6.4 in the North-West; 11.8 in the North-East and 28.2 in the North-Central. Approximately 40.2 of children surveyed had never received any form of vaccination. The most common reasons given for non-vaccination of these children were lack of information about immunisation; fear of side-effects and the immunisation centres being too far away. It was noted that uptake of vaccines with multiple dosing schedules dropped with each successive dose. Decreased likelihood for full immunisation was seen in mothers 18?years old (odds ratio (OR) 0.53; confidence interval (CI) 0.34 - 0.84) and mothers residing in the northern regions. Increased likelihood for full immunisation was seen in mothers from middle and rich classes (OR 1.26; CI 1.03 - 1.66 and OR 1.69; CI 1.27 - 2.25; respectively); mothers with higher educational level (OR 3.77; CI 1.52 - 9.32); mothers with access to media (OR 1.84; CI 1.21 - 1.68); mothers resident in urban areas (OR 1.36; CI 1.22 - 1.51) and mothers who had institutional deliveries (OR 1.86; CI 1.44 - 2.40).Conclusion. Full immunisation uptake in Nigeria is poor. Cultural disparity in different regions of Nigeria may account for the wide variation in immunisation coverage observed
